Folding adjustable easel.



F. R. WHITESIDE.

FOLDING ADJUSTABLE EASEL.

APPLICATION man IUNE 14, l9l7.

1,280,923. Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IIVVENTOR TF'GI'I" Fqqd Wh/hzid F. R. WHITESIDE.

FOLDING ADJUSTABLE EASEL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1917- 1 80,923. Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

2 SHEETS'SHEET 2 INVENTOI? frank R zed Whfiwa/da.

,4; ATTORNEY FRANK REED WHITESIIDE, OF WYNCOTE, PENNSYLVANIA.

I FOLDING ADJUSTABLE EA-SEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

Application filed June 14, 1917. Serial No. 174,670.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK REED WHITE- SIDE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wyncote, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Adjustable Easels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements 1n folding adjustable easels such as are used by artists, etc., for holding a canvas, frame, or other similar articles.

One object of this invention is to provide an easel which shall be readily adjustable to meet the various requirements as to size of frames or canvases supported thereby.

A second object is to provide an easel on which the position of the canvas, etc., can be changed without disturbing the settlng of the tripod.

A third object is to provide an easel on which an object can be held at any desired vertical angle without disturbing the position of the easel.

These objects are obtained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the easel showing the canvas in dotted lines in position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the easel folded up.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the tripod joint and the top holder.

Fig. 4 is a rear view in perspective of the tripod joint.

Fig. 5 is a top view of the tripod joint with the legs and the thumb screw omitted.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the supporting brackets.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of one of the bra oket-s.

'Referring to Fig. 1, 1, 2 and 3 are the legs of the tripod here shown as extensible but this is not essential. These are joined together at the top by the joint 4 the shape of which can be seen by comparing Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

The legs 1 and 2 are hinged in the joint 4 in the same plane by means of the pins 5 and 6 passing through the U shaped pieces 8 and 9. The leg 3 is hinged at right angles to the others on the pin 7 which passes through the pieces 8 and 9.. The pieces 8 and 9 are integral with the central part 10 and so placed relative to each other that it provides a space 11 into which the leg 3 fits as shown. This arrangement allows the legs to fit compactly together when the easel is folded up.

The part 10 is provided with a rectangular passage 12 and at the rear with a thumb screw 13. Passing through the'opening 12 is the bar 14 which is capable of sliding up and down in it and of being firmly held in any given position by the thumb screw 13. At its upper end 15 the bar 14 is cut on a slight angle toward the front as shown in Fig. 3,'and pivoted to it at this end by means of the pin 16 is the U shaped yoke 17 through which a cross bar 18 passes loosely.

A pin 17 passes through the yoke 17 just under the bar 18 to prevent the yoke 17 from rotating too far toward the rear. At the front end the bar 18 is provided with a pin 19 which serves to hold the canvas or frame supported in the easel at the top, it also keeps the said bar from slipping through the yoke 17. At the other end the bar 18 is provided with a pin having a head on each side to prevent it from slipping out in the other direction. It is evident that some other form of holder may be used instead of the pin 19 ifvdesired.

Slipped over the legs 1 and 2 are the "two supports or brackets '21 and 22. These are ldentlcal and are constructed as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The rectangular opening 23 is slightly larger than the depth of the leg over which it slips which allows said bracket to cant slightly forward as shown. Rigidly attached to it at one end is the spring 24 which tends to keep the bracket in its canted position. From this it will be seen that the bracket can be readily moved to any position on the leg where it automatically locks, the weight of the canvas, etc., tending to make it bind more firmly on the said leg.

In setting up the easel and putting a frame or other object upon it, the legs are extended to the proper length and the tripod stood in the proper position. The brackets 21 and 22 are moved along the legs 1 and 2 to the height desired for the lower edge of the frame. The pin 19 is pushed into the top of said frame and the cross bar 18 moved through the yoke 17 until the frame is at the proper angle, the bar 14 is then drawn down until the frame is ,held firmly on the brackets 21 and 22 and the thumb screw 13 tightened to hold the bar 14 in place.

It will be seen that the brackets21 and 22 and the bar 1 1 can be adjusted to hold any size frame and by adjusting the cross bar 18 the said frame can be held at any angle .relativevto the easel.

The distance apart of the brackets is determined by the spread of the front legs and by theposition of said brackets on said legs.

It is evident that this easelv will securely hold not .only'a frame but also any approximately flat object.

I am aware that easels having support ing brackets of some kind are in quite-common use and some have means for holding the object placed thereon by the top, therefore I donot claim such a combination broadly, but I vdo claim: V

1. The combination of a tripod, ajoint hinging together the legs of said tripod,

- independently adjustable brackets attached .to two of said legs and capable of: automatically locking themselves thereto in any'position, a passage through saidjoint, a-slide bar attached to said joint, a yoke pivoted to .oneend of said slide bar said yoke acting both as. a guideiandan automatic lock, a pin to limit the movement of said yoke on said slide bar, a cross bar passing through said yoke and a means attached tojsaid cross 7 bar for holding the upper-edge ofthe object supported upon said brackets.

2. In. combination, a tripod, supporting brackets slidablv. attached to two of the legs and automatically locking themselves thereto many position, a joint joining the legs of the tripod, a bar slidably attached tosaid joint, a lock yoke pivotally attached to the upper end of said bar, a pin limiting the angle of rotation of said look yoke, a second bar sliding through said yoke and capable of being locked at any point in its length to the first named bar by said yoke and a pin attached to said second bar for holding the brackets.

8. The combination of; atripod, ajoint into which the three legs hinge. at their upper ends, brackets attached to two of the legs, each bracket-being provided with a slot and a spring which automatically locks said bracket to said leg in any position, afT bar the vertical-leg of-Whi'ch passes through and can be locked to said joint saidleg having .a yokepivoted to its upper end capable of holding and locking the horizontal bar of the'T to the vertical bar and a pin for holdingthe upper edge of the article supported on said brackets. l

1. The combination of a tripod, a hinged joint connecting the three legs of said tripod, a bar cut slanting at the top slidingiinfan upperend of the article supported by said opening in said joint, means forlocking said bar to said oint, a yoke attached to the u per end of said bar, a pinpassing through said yoke for limiting its motion, a second bar passing through said yoke and locking between the slanting top of the first bar: and the yoke, a pin for holding the top-ofthe objects supported on said easel, andbrackets having a rectangularslot-and aspring, 4

attached to two of the legs whereby the brackets automatically lock themselves thereto in any position.

FRANK REED wnirnsinii. I 1

Copies of this patent may be. obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

